Cotton-seed huller.



W. D. NASH. COTTON sEED HULLER. APPLICATION nun my 23, 1912.

Patented Nov. 10, 1914.

2 sHnnrs-snnsw 1.

7H NORRIS PETERS CO.. PHOTO LlTh l. W4SHINGTON. D. L

W. D. NASH.

COTTON SEED HULLER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 23, 1912.

1,1 1 6,61 1'. Patented Nov. 10, 191$ SHEETS-SHEET 2.

T all Q0 hom it may concern UNITED STATES PATENT orruon.

WALTER 1).. NASH, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA, ASSIGNOR T0 ATLANTA UTILITY WORKS,

OF EAST POINT, GEQIR-GIA, CORPORATION GEORGIA;

COTTON-SEED HULLER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented N 10,

A man filed May 23, 1912. Serial No. 699,345.

Be itknown that I, WALTER D. NAsH, a citizen of the United States,and resident of Atlanta, Fulton county, State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cotton- Seed Hullers, of

which theffollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to cotton seed hullers and more particularly to those machines in which a vertically disposed grinding disk revolves in a plane parallel to another disk, the material being fed in between the disks.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide simple and efficient means for setting and maintainingsaid disks in proper spaced relation, thereby avoiding the'possibility of the disks striking fire, insuring accurate cutting, eliminating the mashing of i the seed, reducing the amount of oil absorbed by the lint and generally improving the separation of the hull from the seed.

Another object is to provide improved mechanism which will permit the separation of the disks when foreign material, such as stones, pieces of iron or other hard substances are caught therebetween.

Other objectsand the novel features of the invention will be apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the drawing, in which,

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal see tional View of the machine, parts thereof being shown in elevation; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the quick release gear and the connection of the same to the main shaft; Fig. 8 is a sectional view of the release mechanism taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 1, parts thereof being shown in elevation; Fig. 4: is a view in elevation of one side of thehuller casing; Fig. 5is an end view of the casing, parts being broken away; Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6-6 of Fig. 5, showing cooperating parts for providing adjustment of 1 which communicates with the huller casing.

A main casing or head casing 11 is mounted at one end of the bed plate, the outer end of the same being open and is provided with a swing casing 12 which closes the same. The swing casing12 is swung from the parallel sides of the main casing 11, being provided with two pairs of parallel cars 13 at each side thereof. Swinging eyebolts let connected to each pair of ears =13, extend through lugs 15 on each side of the main casing and are provided with nuts16 on their outer threaded ends to hold the swinging casing 12 in place.

Near the center of the bed plate 10 there is mounted a pedestal box bearing 17 and near its other end there is mounted the pedestal box .18 having the outwardly extending box 18 containing the quick releasing device and temper screw. The box 18' containing the quick release device andte1n per screw iscast integralwith theubearing box. Supported in the. bearing'boxes 17 and 18 there is a main shaft 19 which is re duced at its ends and the latter are threaded for a purpose to be hereinafter explained. A drive pulley 20 is keyed to the shaft 19 intermediate the pedestals 17 and 18 and a runner head 21 is keyed to a reduced portionat theend of the shaft 19 which extends a into the head casing 11. p

The runner head 21 comprises a single casting having a flat outer face upon which are bolted four segmental hulling plates 22 of any ordinary or preferred construction The segmental hulling plates 22 constitute an annular grinding or hulling surface adjaeent the outer periphery of the runner head 21. y

A feed screw 23, one end of which is tapped at the center and also provided with a flange 2st, is secured to the head 21 and the outer end of the shaft 1.9. The tapped opening in the feed screw is run on to the thread end 19 of the shaft and by means of the flange 24 the feed screw is bolted to the face of the head 21. The free end of the screw feeder 28 extends into a feed hopper spout 25 which is bolted to the outer face of the swing casing 12.

The discharge end of the feed spout is substantially in line with i to the hulling disks where it is thrown outwardly or radially and cut, and therefrom the seeds and hulls are discharged by cen trifugal force into the casing 11. Fromthe casing 11, the material falls down to thedischarge opening 10 in the bed plate 10 to be conveyed to the separating machines. The free end of the feed screw 23 has a central. projection 26 thereon which extends into a recess 27 in the feed spout and thereby j ournals the said free end of the feed screw. A set screw 28 and coiiperating jam nut 28 are provided as a safeguard to keep the hulling disks from striking each other. The set screw 28 is set to correspond to the extreme allowable inward movement of the shaft, and the headand feed screw which are secured thereto.

A hopper feed head 29 having an opening30 is mounted on the huller casing 11, the opening therein corresponding with the inlet opening of the feed spout A slide 31 of ordinary construction controls communication between the feed head 29 and the spout 25.

The coacting huller disk or tram disk comprises a stationary annular plate 32 adjustably mounted on the swing casing 12 and having a central opening 33 therein which corresponds and is in line with the opening 26 in the swing casing 12. The tram disk 32 hasbolted to the face thereof adjacent the head 21 segmental hulling plates 34 corresponding to the hulling plates on the head 21. The hulling plates 22 and 34 are renew able and their coacting faces are provided with the ordinary serrations to give them a more effective cutting or grinding action.

To adjustably mount the stationary tram disk 32 On the swing casing 12 the following improved construction is provided. The tram disk 32 has an outwardly extending hub flange 35 at its center by means of which it has sliding bearing upon an inwardly extending ledge or flange hub 36 on the casing 12. At a point corresponding to the pe riphery of the disk 32, the casing 12 is provided with an inwardly extending annular ridge or projection 37 which seats in a recess 38 in the periphery of the tram disk 32. Intermediate the inwardly projecting portions 36 and 37 the casing 12 is provided with a plurality of threaded openings 39 and other openings 40 not threaded, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The openings 40 constitute guides for projections 41 on the tram disk 32. The projections 41 have centralv openings therethrough to receive the shanks of bolts which secure the huller plates 34 to the disk 32. The threaded openings 39, shown in enlarged detail in Fig. 7 are each adapted to receive a tram disk adjusting screw or bushing 42 which has a nut 42 integral therewith. The outer cylindrical surface of bushing 42 is threaded and the same has a central axial opening therethrough. The inner end of each adjusting screw 42 bears against a projection 43, of which there are a plurality on the tram disk 32. Each projection 43 has a central opening therethrough to receive the shankof an adjusting bolt 44, of which there are four in the drawings. The opening through each adjusting bushing 42 is adapted to receive the shank of a headed bolt 44, the head 45 of which engages in a recess 46 in the face of the tram disk 32 in line with the opening in the projection 43. The recess 46 is angu lar to prevent the turning of the bolt 44 which extends centrally through the projection 43 and centrally opening in the adjusting screw 42. Th outer end of the bolt is threaded to receive lock nuts or jam nuts 47 and 47 It will be seen that by this arrangement the stationary disk 32 is adjustable on the swing casing 12 so that the tram disk 32 may be brought in exact parallel relation to the runner 21 and the hulling plates thereof by merely tightening or loosening the jam nuts47 and 47 and adjusting bushing 42. As will be clear from Fig. 5, a lurality of these adjusting screws areprovi ed, four in the present case, which will permit adjustment at a plurality of points. The adjustment of the tram disk may be made from outside the casing, since the adjusting bushings and their locking means are all accessible from the exterior. However,

should it be desired to have access to the interior, the feed spout and feed screw may readily be removed, the eyebolts on either side of the casing released andthe casing with the disk 32 thereon may be swung'out. Further variation of the distance between the plates 22 and 24 is secured by means of part of the mechanism mounted in the box 18 supported by the pedestal 18. The shaft 19 terminating within the said box 18 has its end reduced andthe nd of the reduced portion is threaded. Loose steel collars 48 and 49 mounted on the turned down portion of the shaft 19 are grooved on their adjacent faces to provide a ball race hr bearing for the steel balls 50. The outer half 49 of the ball race is loosely held on the reduced portion of the shaft and constitutes a yoke on the shaft. The said yoke 49 has horizontally extending projections 51 which are integral therewith. outer face of the yoke 49 there is a fiber friction collar 52 which has slight resiliency.

and bearing against the latter is a lock nut which runs on the threaded end of the shaft and keeps the ball bearing and collar fixed in place. 1 j

Axiallv in line with the shaft 19 and mounted in a threaded opening in the outer end of the box 18, there is a temper screw 54 by means of which the shaft 19 and the huller head 21 are adjusted. 'The casing 18' i is threaded to receive the screw 54 and bearinto contact.

ing against said casing is a lock wheel to fix the screw in position when the same is set. A handle 56 is provided whereby the screw may be turned. The inner-end of the screw 54 has a T-head 51 thereon, which en gages in a recess in a plate or spring reminer 58 having the horizontally outwardly extending projections 59 thereon. The T- head will prevent the disks from coming Surrounding the shaft intermediate the spring retainer 58 and the threaded portion of the box 18 there is a volute steel spring 60 which is adjusted and held in place against the spring retainer 58 by means ofthe adjusting nut 61 and lock nut 61. The special spring will permit of considerable more latitude of adjustment than the ordinary spiral spring, each convolution fitting over the one adjacent the same. The spring is provided to automatically yield slightly and permit the disks to separate when a hard foreign substance passes between the disks.

A flexible connection between the temper screw 54: and themain shaft is established by meansof a toggle joint comprising pairs of links 62 and 63. Corresponding ends of links 62 are connected to the outwardly extending projections 59 on the spring retainer 58, and inner ends of links 63 are connectedto the outwardly extending projections 51 on the yoke (19. The links 62 and 63 are parallel to one another and extend in opposite directions. The freeends of the links 63 are positioned to be disposed between links 62, and adjacent thesame. Each link is drilled at its free end to receive the steel rod 6 1 mounted in a rocker arm 65. The openings in the rocker arm and links 62and 63 are in alinement to receive the rod 64:. It will be seen that the links when horizontally in line afford a substantially rigid connection between the temper screw 54 and the shaft 19, whereby the latter may be adjusted longitudinally by turning the screw 54. Atthe same time the ball bearprovides a connection which allows the rotation of the shaft 19, while the temper screw 54 may remain stationary. By this arrangement an ad ustment can be made while the shaft and head are rotating.

In order to provide means for manually pulling the shafts apart when a hard foreign substance or other obstructions are caught between the hulling disks and which will not be disposed of by the yielding of the spring 60, a manually operable release mechanism is provided. Any slight obstruction will be released by a compression of the spring 60 which bears against the retainer 58, both being susceptible of movement along the screw 54. a

mechanism comprises a rocker arm 65 which is mounted on the rod 6-1 between the two pairs of links 62 and 68. The upper end of the rocker arm has a longitudinal opening therethrough adapted to receive a pm 66 passing through openings in the depending The members67 of the release yoke 68. upper end of the release yoke 68 is provided with a longitudinal opening there through to receive the rcleaseyoke shaft 69 jonrnaled in opposite sides of the casing 18. One end of the release yoke shaft 69 passes The manually operated quick release through the outer wall of the casing and is squared to receive the releaselever 70 which 1s keyed thereto by set screw 71. It Wlll be seen that a forward movement of the release lever, in Fig. 1 will raise the release yoke 68 and rocker arm 65 and toggle joint links 62 and 63 which are connected thereto, there by moving the shaft 19 rearwardly and throwing the disks 21 and 32 apart allowing the obstructingmaterial to pass through.

It is believed that the operation of the huller will be clear from the foregoing description. seen that I have provided a simple adjusting means for the tram disk whereby the same may be brought parallel to the rotating disk and also a simple and efficient adjusting means for the rotating disk so that the same 7 may be set to cut fine or coarse. There is also provided by this arrangement a spring and such a construction insures better re sults, as there will be less liability of the seeds becoming mashed between disks not ing connectlon at the end of the shaft 19 properly trammed and. therefore less loss due to 'CllGillQSOlPtlOll of oil bythe lint on hulls mixed with mashed seeds.

Various modifications may be made in the devices shownwithout departing from the spirit of the invention, therefore I do not wish to be limited to the exact details as shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: i

1. In a machine of the class described, the combination of, a casing the wall of which has a plurality of openings including an axially arranged feed opening, an inwardly extending flange surrounding the feed opening, a projection on the inner wall of the casing parallel to said flange, a rotatable By the arrangement it will be disk and astationary disk cooperating in the casing, said flange constituting supporting means for the stationary disk, the stationary disk having lugs on one face thereof which extend through certain of said openings, said stationary disk having bearing on the flange and against said projection at its periphery, and means cooperating with the lugs for adjusting the stationary disk.

2. In amachine of the class described, the combination of a casing provided with a feed opening, a hopper detachably mounted on said casing and having a discharge opening registering with said opening in the casing, a rotatable shaft extending into said casing, a runner head mounted on said shaft, an annular grinding plate secured to the face of said runner head, a second grinding plate cooperating therewith, and means for feeding material from said hopper to the grinding plates comprising a feed screw provided with a flange at one end w iich flange fits within the said annular plate and is re movably secured to the face of said runner head, said feed screw also having a bearing projection at its outer end, and a bearing in.

the outer wall of said hopper to receive said projection and rotatably support one end of the feed screw.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of, acasing having a plurality of openings in one of its walls, certain of said openings being threaded, a rotatable disk, a stationary or tram disk having apertured projections thereon corresponding to the openings in the casing, said disks cooperating within the casing, and means for adjusting said tram disk comprising a plu rality of threaded bushings adjustable in said threaded openings in the casing and engaging projections on the tram disk, other projections on said disk projecting into openings in the casing, a plurality of headed bolts, the headed portion of each bolt engaging in a recess in the tram disk, and the shank portion thereof passing through an apertured projection and a threaded bushing corresponding therewith, and a am nut fitting on the outer end of each bolt adapted to engage the bushing and draw the projection on the stationary disk into engagement with the opposite end of the same.

I. In a device of the class described, the combination of rotatable shaft, a grinding or hulling disk mounted thereon, a second grinding disk cooperating with the first mentioned disk, at shaft-adjusting member axially in line with said shaft, flexible means connecting said shaft-adjusting member and shaft, and yieldable means cooperating with the connecting means to allow the separation of the disks.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of rotatable shaft, a grinding or hulling disk mounted thereon, a second grinding disk cooperating with the firstmentioned disk, a temper screw mounted in line with said shaft, means connecting said shaft and temper screw, said connecting means being arranged 'to bend out of line with said shaft, and an adjustable spring carried by said screw and bearing against said shaft through the connecting means whereby said shaft may move longitudinally against the tension of the spring to separate said disks and allow a hard foreign substance to pass therebetween.

6. In a device of the class described, the

combination of a rotatable shaft, a grinding or hulling disk mounted thereon, a second disk cooperating with the first-mentioned disk, a longitudinally movable temper screw mounted in line with said shaft, means including links connecting the shaft and temper screw, a spring carried by the screw, said spring being adapted to yield and allow the shaft to movelongitudinally against the tension of the spring to separate said disks and permit a hard foreign substance to pass therebetween, and means on the screw for adjusting the spring.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination of a rotatable shaft, a grindin or hulling disk mounted thereon, a second disk cooperating with the first-mentioned disk, a longitudinally movable temper screw mounted in line with the shaft, a plate loosely mounted on the screw, a spring surrounding said screw and seating on said plate, means on the screw for adjustin the tension of the spring, means for retaining the plate on the screw,m eans for connecting said temper screw and shaft comprising links connectedto said plate, a yoke loosely mounted onthe end of the shaft, links connected to said yoke, and means for connecting the links on the plate with the links on the yoke.

S. In a device of the class described, the combination of a rotatable shaft, a grinding or hulling disk mounted thereon, a second disk cooperating with the first-mentioned disk, a headed longitudinally movable temper screw mounted in line with the shaft, a plate loosely mounted on the screw and having a recess therein to receive thehead of the screw, a spring surrounding the screw and bearing against said plate at one end, means on the screw for adjusting the tension of the spring at its other end, and:

flexible means for connecting the shaft and screw comprising links connected to said plate, a ball bearing on the end of said shaft including a yoke, links connected to said yoke, and means for connecting the links on the plate with the links on the voke.

I 9. In a device of the class described, the

:combinationwith a rotatable shaft, of a grinding or hulling disk mounted thereon, a second disk coiiperating with the first mentioned disk, means for adjusting the shaft, a laterally yieldable device forming part of a positive connection between the shaft adjusting means and shaft, and means for opcrating said laterally yieldable device to separate said disks. l

10. In a device of the class described, the combination with a rotatable shaft, of a V grinding or hailing disk mounted. thereon, a

tioned disk, means fo adjusting the shaft, a

laterally yieldable connection between the shaft adjusting means and shaft, means adapted to yield and permit the separation of said disks to allow a hard foreign substance to pass therel'letween, and means for manually operating; said laterally yieldable connection to positively separate the disks.

11. In a device of the class described, the combination with a rotatable shaft, of a grinding or hulling disk mounted thereon, a second disk cooperating with the firstmentioned disk, a longitudinally movable temper screw mounted in line with the shaft, a plate loosely mounted on said screw, a spring surrounding said screw and seating on said plate, means for adjusting the tension of the spring, a toggle connection between the temper screw and the shaft comprising links connected to said plate, a yoke loosely mounted on the end of the shaft,

links connected tothe yoke, means for con necting the links connected to the yoke with the links connected to the plate, and means for manually operating said link connectmeans to displace the same and separate said disks.

12. In a quick release mechanism thecombination of a shaft, a bearing supporting the same for rotation, means for adjusting said shaft, and means operatively connecting the shaft with said adjusting" means whereby the latter may move the shaft axially in either direction, said connecting means being yieldable laterally so that said shaft may move longitudinally in its bearing.

13. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a stationary grinding disk, a rotatable grinding disk cooperating therewith, a shaft for said rotatable grind inp; disk havinga reduced end, bearings at said reduced end comprising a collar on the reduced end and movable independently thereof, means for adjusting said shaft, and laterally yieldable means connecting; said collar and shaft-adjusting; means.

ll. In a machine .of the class described, the combination of a stationary grinding disk, a rotatable grinding disk cotlperating operating hearing at the threaded endincluding a collair supported on and movable independently of the shaft, a nut cooperating with the threaded end for maintainingthe collar in position thereon, means for adjusting the shaft, and late ally :yieldable means operatively connecting the collar and shaft-adjusting means. j v

15. In a. quick release mecl'ianism, the (30111- bination of a shaft, a bearing supporting the same for rotation, means for adjusting the shaft, a collar loosely supported on the end of said shaft, and means operatively connecting the shaft with the adjusting means comprising a linkage connecting the collar and the adjusting means arranged to yield laterally so that the shaft may be moved longitudinally in its bearing,

16. In a quick release mechanism, the combination of a shaft, a bearing supporting the shaft for rotation, an inclosing' casing for the mechanism on said bearing into which theend of the shaft extends, means accessible from the exterior of the casing for ad just-ing the shaft, and means within the cas ing for operatively connecting the shaft with the adjusting means whereby the latter may adjust the sh aft axially in either direction, said connecting means being yieldable late ally so that the shaft may be moved longitudinally in its bearing.

17. In a grinding mill, the combination with a rotatable and axially movable shaft, of a grinding member rotatable with said shaft, a. stationary grinding member c0- with said rotatable grinding member, means tending to maintain said shaft and members in a predetermined position or relation but adapted to permit a change of said relation, said means including a bearing carried by one end of said shaft, a toggle attached at one end to the bearing and a spring; permitting the shaft to move axially but tending to return the same to its predetermined position.

18. In a mill of the class described, the combination of a stationary grinding member, a rotatable shaft, a grinding member mounted on said rotatable shaft and cooperating with the stationary grinding member,

and a device connected to the end of the mounted to rotate therewith, a second grindmeans for permitting an axial movement of ing member cooperating With the first mensaid shaft. 10 tioned member, a shaft adjusting member In testimony whereof I aflix my signature adapted to move the shaft axially in either in presence of two Witnesses.

direction, means for positively connecting WALTER D. NASH. the shaft adjusting member and shaft, said Witnesses:

means including a laterally yieldable device, A. MACPHERSON YALE,

and means associated with the connecting R031. E. HAOKEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner otl'atents,

Washington, D. 0. 

